Bruce, you never cease to impress me. My gosh, what a treasure and you certainly have taken care of a gift that has been obviously nurtured through your parents. Thanks for sharing those audio files, not to mention your videos. You are a pleasure to read, listen to and watch.

Bruce,Those recordings are really wonderful. I enjoyed your playing on them and your folk's close harmony. What were their names and where did they live? I met a husband and wife duo by the name of Keener back in '70s and I wondered if it could have been them. I live in Franklin (Macon County) North Carolina.

I love both songs and the instrumental. I cried as I listened to mom and dad singing both of those songs. I especially enjoy "ain't no grave" (you know they played the recording of that song at dad's funeral). I can't help but think as he sings "ain't no grave gonna hold my body down", that it happened just that way and that the grave didn't hold him down. Now he is with the angels and I believe still playing finger style guitar only now he is playing with Merle, Chet, Jerry and Buster B. I also especially enjoy your picking on all three of these songs.

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and feelings on these recordings, and thank you so much for making it possible to share them so many years after they were made. I am also very moved by both songs and especially Ain't No Grave for the same reasons. Plus that song always "felt good" to me to play and it seemed to move a lot of people over the years.

Ronnie,

Sounds like you met my Mom and Dad, named George and Dottie Keener. Dad was born in Franklin, NC (as was I) and he and Mom traveled back there on a regular basis.

Bruce,We had a small recording studio (CEC) back in the '70s and we recorded a lot of regional gospel groups. I recall that George and Dottie stopped by for awhile in Franklin. I don't recall they did any recording with us, but were interested in getting some bookings in the Franklin area. The Keener clan is well established here and I know several of them. It is a small world after all.

Do you have any of the original master tapes from the studio where they recorded? That would be your best source to have CDs duplicated. I would think that with the popularity of the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou", and other interests in original bluegrass-gospel there would be a market.

Yes, Mom and Dad were pretty active in music in the 70's and never really gave it up. It was a part-time activity for them: Dad was an automobile mechanic until he retired from that at age 65, at which time he spent most of his time painting landscapes and becoming nationally known for his talent. Even when Dad was diagnosed with cancer, in late 2002, Mom and Dad did not stop singing, although it slowed down of course. And even now, Mom, who is 80, sings in the choir at her local church in the North Georgia mountains.

Thanks for mentioning the master tapes. I doubt that we have them. And, if we do, I would suspect they have become damaged after all of these years. I'm not sure if Mom and Dad even kept the masters or if the producer, Truman Mulkey, did, and Truman passed away several years ago. But it is a good point that a master would make better re-recordings.

I'm not sure that David and I will even pursue making additional CD's ... I'm not convinced there is any real market for Country Gospel these days. And I'm not sure we want the hassle of trying to deal with CDs even if there is a market. But, that is really undecided at this point. Right now I'm just glad to have recovered what several have referred to as "treasures," as they are indeed treasures to David and I.